What is the UK government’s problem with solar?
You’ll need to pay close attention to find the few mentions of solar in the long-awaited White Paper issued by the government to outline how it plans to hit net zero by mid century.
End of subsidies could fuel the corporate PPA boom in Europe
Pioneering solar projects which signed ten-year feed-in tariff agreements will soon need to operate free of subsidy and with local authorities like the City of London starting to embrace direct contracts with renewables generators, the PPA market could be set for another turbo charge.
UK installs 5 MW ultracapacitor as ‘sonar’ to detect power grid inertia
Electricity system operator National Grid is planning for a fully decarbonized power network in five years. Following a power outage last year, the operator has taken a pioneering role in finding solutions to the issues of running a grid using only power-electronics-interfaced resources. One key aspect of grid stability, inertia, can be detected using an ultracapacitor.
Investigating moisture in nickel-rich batteries
Scientists in the UK looked into the effects of exposure to ambient atmosphere could have on nickel-manganese-cobalt cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. While many cathode designs are moisture sensitive, the group found that the nickel-rich cathodes currently gaining market share are especially vulnerable, and can suffer irreversible power loss upon exposure to moisture in the air.
What must be done to use solar and wind in power-to-methanol
According to a research team from Oxford University, solar and wind may be applied in power-to-methanol projects only if the methanol industry will switch from conventional chemical processes, that require a constant energy supply, to more flexible processes that need demand-side management.
Smart grid project shows why UK Power Networks topped global rankings
A trial run of a network of 5G-linked substation computers could free up 1.4 GW of grid capacity if rolled out across the U.K., according to the regional utility.
UK assembles experimental hydrogen network from decommissioned gas infrastructure
The £12.7 million project will explore how to transport pure and blended hydrogen for use in heating and industrial purposes. Construction will start next year.
Europe’s largest battery project gets approval in the UK
U.K.-based energy company InterGen has received planning permission to deploy 320 MW/640 MWh of capacity at a logistics park near London. The storage complex is planned to provide fast-reacting power and system balancing with an initial, two-hour duration.
Rooftop PV vs. rooftop farming
U.K. researchers have developed a way to optimize urban rooftop use with solar PV and agriculture.
India ranked the world’s most attractive PV market by Ernst & Young
The latest edition of the accountant’s renewables attractiveness index has placed the nation in top spot for photovoltaics, helping it to fourth spot for overall clean energy investment. Mexico has been hammered by the government’s attitude to clean power and France has also slipped, four places.
